


Flickering Stars Match the way he Breathes

by tipitytap



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Other, death sorta, dialogue prompt, finna make me cry bitch, keith honey come save lance, klance, lance please stop being sad, season 7 shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 02:23:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17235548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tipitytap/pseuds/tipitytap
Summary: This is my first piece of writing on here, sorry if it sucks ass.This is taking place at some point in the second half of season seven, just to clarify.





	Flickering Stars Match the way he Breathes

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first piece of writing on here, sorry if it sucks ass.  
> This is taking place at some point in the second half of season seven, just to clarify.

It’s cold, unusually cold in fact. His fingertips twitch as he slips out of unconsciousness, his eyes struggling to open in unicine as one is covered in sticky blood. Sealing his lids shut. But both of his eyes do eventually open, and he stares at the blue gridding on the inside of his helmet visor. The information fades into static before clearing up, and Lance is faced with vacancy, a few stars glimmering in the sky.

Suddenly Lance is fully aware of the weightlessness in his body, and his whole body springs into panic. He swivels his head around, but everywhere he looks is just more empty blackness. 

“Hello? Keith?! Allura?! Shiro?! Can you guys hear me?!” Lance calls out, but he’s only met with silence. His pleading cries falling upon deaf ears.

Lance’s breathing begins to grow uneven, panting and huffing as his mind runs wild. His arms feel stiff on his shoulders, though he can still move them. He tries paddling at the air, but air obviously isn’t solid. He tries flaily his legs---nothing. He spins around in place, trying to see if he can find Red, which proves difficult.

“Pidge?! Hunk?! Somebody?! C’mon, you guys gotta hear me!” Lance’s cries go from panicked to desperate, and when he tries to propel himself forward with his jetpack, it just whirs loudly before a silence follows.

Nothing.

Floating aimlessly in space, no lion, no food or water, nothing. Just him and his thoughts. Which aren’t very hopeful.

The backs of Lance’s eyes begin to heat up, as if flames are burning in his sockets. There’s a pressure in his throat, threatening to escape his mouth as a loud sob. But he bites the inside of his cheek, trying his hardest to keep his cool.

_I’m sure Red will come to me soon. I just have to focus._

Lance inhales slowly as his eyes flutter shut, trying his hardest to feel the Red lion’s energy. But he feels nothing, and can only see the blackness of his inner eyelids. Almost as if the cord that connects him and Red had been cut short before Lance could reach him.

He opens his eyes again, his left eyelid sticking momentarily to his brows ridge due to the blood. He blinks it away till his face is somewhat comfortable.

“Don’t worry buddy, I’ll get to you soon.” Lance coos to Red as if the lion can hear him. He waits silently, dread settling into his heart, causing it to pump violently against his rib cage.

“L---nce?” 

He swivels his head around as he hears static voices in his ears.

“Guys?” He answers in uncertainty.

“Lance!” Keith’s voice sounds, full of relief. His voice cracked under the pressure of his happiness. “Lance, is that you?!”

“Keith!” Lance calls back, never being happier to hear Keith’s voice, of all people.

“Lance, are you okay? Where are you?” Pidge’s voice swims into Lance’s ears. Lance swears he’s about to start crying tears of joy, who knew that hearing that little gremlin is what he needed the most.

“I’m okay enough, I think there’s blood on my face though.” Lance replies.

“You _think?_ How the hell can you _think_ there’s blood on your face? Lance, what happened?” Keith grunts, the relief in his voice had quickly ran out and he’s back to his normal irritated tone.

“I don’t know! I think there was an explosion? And I got ejected from Red, no idea where he is. Sorry that this isn’t helpful at all in finding my location, but I’m just floating aimlessly in space.” Lance pours in all this information at once, giving Pidge and Keith zero time to process in between sentences.

“That’s fine, Lance. I might be able to track you based off of the radio signals your helmet is letting off in order to communicate with us.” Pidge goes silent for a bit as she does work in her lion, so Keith takes the advantage to talk to Lance.

“Is there anything near you?” Keith asks, with a little more concern.

“Not that I can see, I tried connecting with Red but I couldn’t find him.” As Lance talks he can feel his spike of hope begin to deteriorate. 

“AH-HAH! I’ve got your location!” Pidge buts in suddenly. “Wow, you really are in the middle of nowhere, aren’t you.” Pidge goes completely silent, contemplating for a moment. “How about Keith comes to get you? He’s closer to you than I am.”

“Good idea, but what about Red?”

“Red’s strong, he just needs a moment to compose himself. I’m sure you’ll be able to connect to him soon.” Keith reassures.

“Right…” Lance mutters. “I’ll see you soon, Team Leader.”

“See you soon.” 

Keith cuts out, Pidge following shortly after. Leaving Lance completely alone again.

 

***

Lance studies the shape of his hands, desperately trying to find something to occupy himself with. He averts his attention from his hands, and just sits there silently. He’s only been waiting for so long, but he swears he’s been floating in space for eternity. 

Lance’s breath is shortening, his heart beat growing uneven. He exhales from his mouth, fogging up his helmet. He studies the fog his breath left, as it seeps away starting from the edges and slowly evaporating into the center. 

He looks around, his eyes darting from one dim star to another. He’s counted them about four times over, ending up with a different number each time. But he doesn’t care. He just needs something to occupy himself.

 

***

“Te dejo palabras. Debajo de tu puerta. Bajo la luna cantante. Cerca del lugar por donde pasan tus pies. Escondido en los agujeros del invierno. Y cuando estás solo por un momento. Besame. En cualquier momento…” Lance sings quietly to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.

His heart fills with dread, beating heavily against his chest. It swells with pain as he sings the words “kiss me anytime” three times over. He lets the song trail away and he falls silent once again.

Lance closes his eyes slowly, listening to his heartbeat pound in his ears. It’s almost relaxing, the steady sound like a drum beating at the bottom of the ocean, the reverberating call of the drum getting caught on the waves of the water. The sound muffling, but still crisp and powerful. 

 

***

Lance’s eyes flutter open, the vacancy looking just the same as before. He must’ve fallen asleep, not sure for how long. As if it matters. It’s not going to speed up the process of Keith coming to get him.

***

“Keith…”

There’s no reply.

“Anybody?”

Nothing.

“Well if you guys can’t hear me, I might as well be honest.”

“Pidge and Hunk, you guys can be real jerks sometimes. I know you’re just teasing but it can really hurt. None of you take me seriously. Remember when I almost started crying because I was homesick? You just made fun of me. Jokes on you Hunk, now who’s the one who misses their family.”

“Allura, you never showed any interest in me for the entire time we’ve known each other. And now all of the sudden you’re reciprocating? You only started liking me when Lotor committed genocide. It took _genocide_ to get you to like me. I’m just your second choice. What the hell is that about?”

“Keith, when you ran away, you have no idea how much it hurt. I spilled all of my insecurities to you, and I expected you to stay with me. To support me as the only person who actually knew how I felt. And then you just...left. You weren’t there for so many things. You weren’t there when Sh---Fake Shiro started getting mean. You weren’t there when team Punk started. You weren’t there when Lotor came back. _You weren’t there._ ”

“And now you’re not here…”

 

***

Lance’s vision swells as he fights sleep, keeping his eye out for the Black lion. But eventually sleep takes over, and his vision fades to black.

 

***

Lance’s eyes flutter open again, however much time had past clearly had no effect on Lance. Keith hadn’t come yet. _Will he ever come? Probably not, he’s probably using this time to dispose of me. He doesn’t want me, or need me. None of them do. I’m useless. They’re leaving me out here to die._

Lance closes his eyes, despite not being tired. He takes this time to try to connect with Red, but there’s nothing. Lance opens his eyes again, but doesn’t take the effort to keep his lids fully open. Letting them hang half way over his eyes. Too much effort to keep them closed, too much effort to keep them open. 

 

***

Maybe he has been here for an eternity. Definitely more than one Earth day has passed, and Lance has been in the same position for so long. Too tired to move his limbs. About 3 hours ago Lance noticed a crack in his helmet visor, the crack slowly creeping up from the corner that it initially sprung from. Lance starts to notice his shortness of breath. Hitching at his inhales at shorter and shorter intervals. Now he can only breathe in for so long now, his chest contracting painfully when he tries to push it.

The crack begins to spider out, smaller cracks developing from the original.

 

***

“...te dejo palabras…debajo de tu puerta…bajo la luna cantante…cerca del lugar por…por…” Lance’s voice is hoarse and gravely as he sings, his notes off key. 

“...I leave you words…under your door…under the singing moon…near the place where your feet pass…hidden in the holes of winter…and when you're alone for a moment…kiss me…anytime…” At this point, singing in Spanish is too much effort and he sings the same song quietly in English. His voice cracks, the pressure on his chest growing. Pressing on his heart.

“...kiss me…anytime…kiss…me…” Lance’s eyes burn, and this time he doesn’t try to choke the tears away. Hot, burning trails slide down his blotchy red yet pale cheeks. Like boiling water sizzling against his face. He doesn’t sob, or wail. He doesn’t cry out in the agony of his lungs losing oxygen, bit by bit. He just cries silently, tears pooling in his eyes and sliding down his cheeks as large water droplets.

Lance’s temples pulsate as his brain begs for oxygen. An alarm blares in his ears, his helmet warning him that oxygen levels are critical. Lance doesn’t flinch at the sound, letting the alarm engulf him as his vision blurs with spots of blackness before filling his vision entirely. His breath hitches one last time. Before finally giving up. And Lance exhales his last breath.

 

***

There’s a blaring light that fills his vision, making his headache pound harder against the back of his eyes. Dark blobs are blocking parts of the white light. His vision finally clears, not fully, but enough for him to make out what’s going on. Sounds suddenly swim through his ears, the most apparent one being Pidge’s exaggerated sobs. Her face is buried in the crook of Hunks arm, and he’s rubbing comforting circles on her back. Shushing her calmly. Keith paces back and forth anxiously by Lance’s bed, his hands on his head. Squeezing his hair so sharp strands stick out wildly from in between his fingers. Allura leans against the wall across from Lance, biting her nails, gnawing them down to the point where she’s biting the skin off her fingers. Shiro stands in the doorway, talking surprisingly calmly to Lance’s mamá.

Lance’s eyes are barely open, and he takes in the entire scene in front of him. He closes his eyes again, listening to the sounds around him.

“It’s my fault, it’s my fault,” Pidge wails.

“Shh…it’s fine. He’s going to be fine…” Hunk comforts.

Keith’s muttering something incoherently to himself, and when Lance strains his ears he can make out the words “too late”.

Allura says nothing as she’s focused her full attention on destroying her fingers.

Lance can’t hear what Shiro is saying his mamá, but he’s sure it’s something impossibly smart.

Lance’s eyes flutter open again, and he opens his mouth to say something, not sure what he’s gonna say as he pauses. And he just ends up belting out a groan of agony.  
Everyone’s gaze shoots to Lance, and they crowd around him. They’re all spouting random things, and Lance can’t make out any of it.

“ _Escucha!_ ” Lance’s mamá shouts out. Everyone turns their vision towards her. “Move! Let me get to my boy!” She looks about ready to smack one of them. They all scatter out of her way, and she races over to Lance’s side.

Lance lets out a wheezy laugh at the whole situation, just the concept of a short pudgy Hispanic woman scaring a group of universe defenders. “Oh, mijo…” She says quietly, examining Lance’s face. She grabs Lance by his cheeks and plants millions of little kisses all over his face.

“Hi, mamá.” Lance says calmly. She squeezes him into a giant hug, snuggling her face into his shoulder. Lance wraps his arms around his mamá’s body, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

“Te amo…” She whispers to Lance. He nods and pecks his mamá’s cheek.

“I love you too, mamá.” Lance replies sweetly.

She rubs his head gently. “Alright, I’ll leave you alone now.” she mutters. She pulls away, lingering her hands on his cheeks. She places one last kiss on Lance’s forehead before walking away from his bed. She places her hand on Shiro’s arm as she leaves, and the minute she walks out the door everyone surrounds Lance again.

“Are you okay?” Shiro asks hesitantly.

“What happened?” Hunk buts in.

“I’m so sorry, Lance!” Pidge hiccups.

“I’m an idiot, I should’ve come sooner” Keith grunts, more to himself than Lance.

“I’m sorry there was nothing I could have done to help.” Allura apologizes, her voice cracking.

Lance’s eyes bat around from one person to another, switching from one idea to the next as rapidly as the group is talking.

“Alright, alright one at a time! Want me to turn into my mom?” Everyone starts quieting down, and Pidge lets out another sob.

“L-lance I’m s-so sorry! I-I messed up…I messed up so bad Lance…” Large bubbly tears sink down her big cheeks, and she slithers her way into his arms. Lance’s hospital shirt quickly soaks up with her tears, and Lance squeezes her tightly. Hunk wraps his warm arms around the two of them, embracing them with a unique loving warmth only Hunk can give off.

“Pidge, it’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m here now, right?” Lance reassures.

“I-I know...but…”

Lance shuts her up by squeezing her harder, and she hides her face in his shirt.

“So, Pidge has been bawling her eyes out for the passed 12 or so hours,” Hunk says over Pidge’s crying. “And she’s been telling the story completely out of order, so of course I’m confused. What actually happened?”

Lance opens his mouth to answer, but Keith talks before Lance has a chance to.

“Lance got ejected out of Red during battle. Caused by an explosion, probably. He was stuck in the middle of space for more than forty-eight hours. He almost died, thanks to a crack in his helmet and his already limited oxygen. I almost let Lance d---”

“ _Keith_.” Lance hisses, and Keith shuts up quick. Lance wraps his fingers around Keith’s hand, rubbing his thumb across his knuckles. “If you and Pidge keep blaming yourselves, I swear to God.” Lance grunts. Keith shakes his head and drops it onto Lance’s shoulder. Lance lets go of Keith’s hand so he can put his arm around Keith’s back.

Lance glances to Allura, and she opens her mouth to talk. Only to squeak in a high pitched voice, and she covers her mouth. She wraps her arms around Lance’s neck, staying quiet in fear she’s going to burst into tears like Pidge. Lance doesn’t need two paladins in hysterics.

Shiro distances himself from the hug, being the only one aware of the fact that Lance is lacking oxygen. “So, you’re okay?” Shiro asks. Lance nods, shooting Shiro a bright grin. Shiro grins just as wide back, and Lance gets this warmth at the pit of his stomach.

He’s surrounded by people who are so concerned for him, who love him so much. And he would risk death a million times over if it meant that he would keep this group of idiots safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading this! I wrote it a while ago, it just took me a long time to decide to post it. I know it's not very klance heavy, more just angsty as hell.


End file.
